The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-02-26
THE DIFFERENCE.

Hope, in Brooklyn Eagle.
THE DIFFERENCE.
A PARKWAY "Outrage" Over which Re-
publicans Are "PoIiticaliy" Indi gnant
and One Near at Hand which They Will
Not Consider.
Three citizens of Texas, or three
men claiming to be such, appeared at
Washington not long since with har-
rowing tale of political outrage where-
of they were the victims. They asked
that the Senate investigate the case
and that body by strict party vote
has decided to do so. The story was
practically unsupported-except SO far
as each of the three men supported the
other two. 1t was very suspiciously like
number of stories which have come
from the South at times when the Repub-
lican party was in need of fuel to fire the
partisan hearts and keep the rank and
| file from falling into a condition of
confidence in the South. Moreover, if
the story was true it furnished no basis
for Senatorial or Federal action. 1t
might turn out in every line and word
and detail exactly as narrated, and it
would still be as purely case for the
tribunals and authorities of Texas as
the horrible outrages in the north
woods of Michigan and Wisconsin are
cases for the tribunals and authorities
of those States. The Senate can do
absolutely nothing in the premises un-
less it be to make, or attempt to make,
political capital for the Republican
party. 1t can not punish the offenders
or even compel the State of Texas to do
it,
Some days before the alleged citizens
of Texas made their appearance at
Washington with their outrage budget
public an account of the suffering her
husband, who had just died at the Sol
diers' Home in Grand Rapids, had un-
dergone in that institution. 1t would
have been sad and pathetic tale if the
sufferer had been a pauper in the coun-
ty house, or even convict in one of
our prisons. Told, as it was, of gal
liant soldier who had been taken in
charge by the great State of Michigan
. to protect and care for in q home
which the generous bounty of the peo-
pie had provided, it was tale calcu-
lated to make the blood boil in the
veins of every patriotic citizen. Itwas
followed by other tales from inmates
| of the same institution, all freighted
with the same burden of mismahage-
. ment, neglect and consequent suffer-
, ing. Those who should have been the
welcome and honored guest of the
State in a real home, with the care and
the comfort that sacred name implies,
were represented as finding the place
a ''mockery of home' and shell. :"
Q Naturally an indignant cry went up
5 for investigation of the alleged abuses
and for a speedy remedy; and the
Y Legislature was at once appealed to.
S There was nothing partisan in the cry.
The charges were not made by citizens
: of distant State. And the appeal was
: to body which has full jurisdiction to
!. examine and full power to cure the
4 abuses, if any are found. 1t was q
r stronger case in it's appeal to humanity
r and in the evidence by which it was
: supported than the Texas case; and il
n was presented, as the latter was not, tc
It a perfectly proper tribunal. But rht
= petty party organ saw no merit in the
S case. The wall of the stricken widow
s and the appeal of the suffering soldier
@ We're ''insinuations" which deserved
> no attention from the Legislature o.
anybody else. The management of the
i Soldiers Home was too great and wis'
i and generous and good to be even sus
|. pected of any thing; and it was only
q when member of it's own party will
# a manly consciousness of the disgrace
q the State would incur if the whitewash
d ing policy were pursued moved for N
Ia investigation that this petty partisan
If organ abandoned its opposition ant
" grudgingly Joined in the demand. l
" had sharp eyes for alleged outrages il
# far-off Texas; it had crocodile tears t,
,e shed over alleged wrongs committed
I. there; and it was exceedingly promp
=. in its demand for an investigation
n when there was the faintest prospec
I. that its party could make political cap
A. ital, though there was no possibilit
1t that any wrong could be redressed. Blu
If it had no eyes or tears to moisten ther
n when the alleged sufferers are its ow
p. fellow-citizens in whose kind and gen
ID erous treatment the whole State wa
q. interested. 1t could not even see it
o. way clear to asking for an inquiry int
a. the matter until the resolution offere
IN by a member of its own party Statistic
ID it that the partisan whitewash brus
IN could no longer be welded with safety
There is good deal of this "Mr;
W Jellaby" business of straining the sigh
70 so in looking after the far-off sufferin
al that the eyes are blinded to the miser
nc close at hand. And it is all the nor
in contemplate business when the ignol
q ing of the suffering and misery near &
W. hand is deliberate, as it has been in tn
he 1ribune's dealing with the Soldier
,n Home matter.-DetroH Free Press.
III ,uHrawfic hino - as lleual